Trusting the Gift Within

Dear Gems,

What a week it has been! We are just coming out of the Thanksgiving holiday and now it is time to get back to our inaugural “Becoming” series. I am very excited about this week’s topic and cannot wait for you to read what’s been in my spirit to share.

Last week we dealt with identifying and confronting our fears. We talked about how our fears can be stumbling blocks on the road to our destiny and how fear is not of the Lord. This week we will continue in the book of Jeremiah, focusing on stepping out on faith. Is there something God has put on your heart but you still struggle with taking the first step?

The gifts of God are already somewhere within you, but it is not until we exercise them and step out on faith that we see them for ourselves. Jeremiah had a lot of gifts and still needed instruction, direction, and affirmation from the Lord. In Chapter 1 versus 9-12 it reads:

Then the Lord reached out his hand and touched my mouth and said, look, I have put my words in your mouth! Today I appoint you to stand upagainst nations and kingdoms. Some you must uproot and tear down, destroy and overthrow. Others you must build up and plant. Then the Lord said to me, “Look, Jeremiah! What do you see?” And I replied, “I see a branch from an almond tree.”And the Lord said, “That’s right, and it means that I am watching, and I will certainly carry out all my plans.

What happens here is a pivotal turning point in the life of Jeremiah that confirms his calling as a prophet. When God speaks, Jeremiah initially responds to his fears (v. 6). But what the Lord does in verse 9 is powerful! He reaches out and touches Jeremiah’s mouth, letting him know that it is not Jeremiah but God himself that will give him the words to say as he goes forth in his role as a prophet.

How encouraging is that! Many times when we are asked to do things by our peers, leaders, or God himself, we don’t feel prepared and immediately think, “what will I say, how will I perform it, how will this turn out, will I embarrass myself or say the wrong thing?” Those are just some of the many thoughts that tend to race across our minds when we are faced with things that appear to be challenging (and many times are!)

I imagine Jeremiah was faced with similar thoughts as he shared his fears with the Lord. But as God reassured Jeremiah, it is not us, but the God in us that guides and equips us as we step into new territories. We do not need to fear what God has called us to do, and yet, we find ourselves focusing more on our inabilities when God’s abilities are what matter the most.

Similarly, Moses had a stuttering problem but was instructed to approach Pharaoh and tell him to let God’s people go. Moses had no idea how he would do this “But Moses pleaded with the LORD, “O Lord, I’m not very good with words. I never have been, and I’m not now, even though you have spoken to me. I get tongue-tied, and my words get tangled” (Exodus 4:10). Immediately, God responded and said, “…Who makes a person’s mouth? Who decides whether people speak or do not speak, hear or do not hear, see or do not see? Is it not I, the LORD? Now go! I will be with you as you speak, and I will instruct you on what to say.”(Exodus 4:11-12).

Moses feared in the same way we do, and yet, he went down in history as a deliverer and leader who brought the children of Israel out of Egypt. What God is calling you to do may seem big, scary, and even challenging – but if He said it, rest assured that everything needed to fulfill it is already in you.

Jeremiah was called to be a prophet and didn’t fully know what that entailed! It wasn’t until God said, “Jeremiah, what do you see?” (1:5) that Jeremiah responded with “I see a branch of an almond tree.” In that moment, God told Jeremiah he had seen well, and he would perform his next assignment! Jeremiah may not have known what it meant to be a prophet, but the mere fact that he stepped out on faith without hesitation revealed that he was already equipped to see the things God needed him to see and confirmed his calling.

There are many gifts inside of you, waiting to be exercised. You cannot fully grow into who God has called you to be until you step out on faith. For you, that may look like drawing up a business plan, for others, that may be writing your first blog. It could even be something as simple as picking up the phone and reaching out to potential leaders you want to connect with. If you are in school, it could be organizing an event you’ve been desiring to happen. Whatever it is that God is calling you to do, until you step out on faith, nothing will happen.

Rest assured today that all you need, is in Gods hands. And if he has called you to it, he has equipped you with it.

Some actions steps for this week are:

Step out in faith! Try one thing you have been hesitant to do. Jot down your experience and meditate on what you have learned.

Encourage someone this week by affirming their gifts. This simple act could be the very thing they need to hear to exercise their own faith!

& always remember that you are,

Chosen. Worthy. Empowered. Loved.

Ja’La W.

P.S

Our launch date was 11.3.17 making us 23 days old!

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